Linux - Laptop and NetbookHaving a problem installing or configuring Linux on your laptop? Need help running Linux on your netbook? This forum is for you. This forum is for any topics relating to Linux and either traditional laptops or netbooks (such as the Asus EEE PC, Everex CloudBook or MSI Wind).
Notices
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
I am having trouble running Mandrake 9.2 on an Acer Travelmate 252LC.
The machine came with XP on, and I did a CD install. My first problem was that after the "hit enter to upgrade or install prompt", the install would hang on a blank screen. Using F1 and text mode showed me that the install was hanging booting the kernel (which was 2.4.22-10mdkBOOT).
So, I ran the install with the alternate kernel (2.2.19-BADZ5). This worked fine, although I got two error messages along the way:
-after detecting USB devices, I got: Error: we now use kernel PCMCIA support and this won't work with a 2.2 kernel.
-a bit later (before being prompted for keyboard layout, I think), I got:
PCMCIA support no longer exists for 2.2 kernels. Please use a 2.4 kernel.
Despite these errors, the install went OK, and I updated the XP boot.ini file to use LILO text mode (and XP boots fine).
However, when I try to boot linux now, the system hangs booting the kernel again. Booting using "linux-nonfb" to get more messages shows it's hanging on:
Uncompressing Linux... Ok, booting the kernel
I have tried booting using noapic, nolapic, nopcmcia - none of these seem to work. By using a rescue disk, I've discovered that all the linux options in LILO are trying to load the 2.4.22-10mdk kernel (which was hanging during installation). However, I have no idea how to put a different kernel there for use by LILO.
Your problem is your booting a 2.2.xx kernel and it does not have support for your hardware, that error message about using a 2.4.xx series kernel is not there for a laugh.
You'll have to boot your install cd to fix this problem, you can use it to do an "expert upgrade", look for 2.4 kernel that supports pcmcia, if there is one then that would be a laptop optimised kernel.
Sanketh: thanks for the link, but my machine isn't even getting as far as PCMCIA detection. It's hanging just after the message:
"Ok, booting the kernel"
Aussie: I only tried the 2.2.x.x kernel because the 2.4.22-10mdk kernel
wouldn't go past the boot phase at all. At this stage, I'd be happy if it was giving me trouble with PCMCIA - there seems to be much more info on that problem on the web.
Can I install any 2.4 kernel with mandrake - doesn't it have to be a mandrake kernel (and where can I find kernels)? I have heard that Mandrake has released two newer kernels for mdk 9.2- any idea where I can get hold of them?
The easiest option would be to boot the mandrake cd and pass the nopcmcia flag to the 2.4.xx kernel as it boots, then reinstall. Once you have a working install you can work at the problems from the inside, so to speak.
OK, time to try something else and see if the problem replicates, booting with a live CD would be the easiest way to do this.
I'd recomend either Knoppix, or Slax.
OK, after about a week of kernel hacking, I found the problem.
It had to do with the LAPIC, but the kernel code does not check if you have said nolapic or not at that stage, and the machine was going into a panic before activating the console to display messages.
The way to get the machine going is as follows (with Mandrake 9.2):
1) Download the 2.4.22-10mdk kernel-source.
2) Make sure you have GCC 3.3 (GCC 2.95 reports syntax errors in the kernel despite the kernel only complaining if the GCC version is <= 2.91)
3) Compile the kernel in a subdirectory, after making these changes in make menuconfig:
-first enable LAPIC - this gives you the IO APIC option
-enable IO APIC - this supplies the IBM Hotplug option under hotplugging
-disable the IBM hotplug (otherwise make exits in make modules_install because of unresolved dependencies)
-then disable IO APIC and LAPIC again
4) when you have finished the make modules, do a make modules_install with an INSTALL_MOD_PATH option, and write the modules directory and the necessary system files onto a CD.
Now get a copy of the first CD of the slackware 9.1 distro - this has ISO fs support (and vfat) builtin, so will allow you to mount the CD-ROM you have just written.
Install mandrake 9.2, choosing to use the alternate kernel (alt1) at bootup. This will allow you to perform the installation, but will install the alt0 kernel onto your system, which will thus not boot.
Now boot the slackware CD. Once you get to the prompt, mount your linux partition, and inside that, mount the CD with the compiled kernel. Then chroot to your system, copy the modules into /lib/modules/linux-<kernel version>, and the system files into /boot, and update lilo.
What can i do if i cannot recompile the kernel cause i don't have a place to do it? Is there a chance to install Man9.2 with 2.2.xx kernel, recompile 2.4.xx and then change 2.2 -> 2.4. What i mean is: Can i solve the problem using one machine?
OK, if that's your problem, you should still be able to get arouund it:
First install slackware 9.1 on your machine. (Make sure you have a copy of the first install cd).
Then follow the steps outlined in my previous posts to recompile the kernel, and write it to CD. Then install the default mandrake 9.2, using the alt1 kernel as described in previous posts, reboot and copy the kernel you compiled under slackware onto your hard-drive appropriately, update lilo, and Bob should be your uncle.
i.e. in essence, you use a first install of slackware 9.1 as your compilation computer described in my earlier instructions.
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.